


Black Steel

by JoAsakura



Series: Black Steel (TRC) [1]
Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-03
Updated: 2009-11-17
Packaged: 2017-10-03 04:42:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoAsakura/pseuds/JoAsakura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tsubasa/Horitsuba Gakuen AU./Spoilers-none/rated R for violence</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Horitsuba-Daidouji Heavy Industries Self-Learning Combat AI, Code 'BlackSteel' was bored out of its virtual gourd.

He (for Black Steel had come to consider itself male) had run every combat simulator on the Outo Server at least three times and was nearly through the Rekord virtual library. He was absorbing a multi-language dictionary when he finally realised why he was so restless-seeming.

Human interface was long overdue. A quick check in with the server's clock confirmed it. By this time, normally either Doctor Flowright or Chief Ichihara would've entered the lab, thereby triggering the external interface, or one of them would've logged into Outo to ostensibly check on Black Steel's learning progress.

During these remote sessions, though, Doctor Ichihara had been trying to explain the concept of cybersex, and Doctor Flowright (Doctor Fai, it corrected itself. He preferred to be called Fai.) had taught him poker. The latter had been easy. The former, not so much, even after Yuuko had reconfigured his avatar from the BlackSteel Combat Frame to that of a (she assured him) handsome, red-eyed man.

When the interface suddenly appeared, heralding the opening of the lab, Black Steel was almost excited. Taking control of the screen, he started to scold Doctor Fai, but stopped.

Something was wrong.

Fai was the only one in the Clean Room where the server and the combat frame resided. No assistants had accompanied him, nor had the Chief. His normal, cheerful smile was strained, and worryingly, there were red stains on his lab coat that Black Steel was relatively certain was blood. With the communication interface's limited capabilities, there was no way to be certain of this, and Black Steel found it frustrating.

"Doctor Fai. What's going on?" The voice modulators gave him a rough baritone that Fai seemed to like.

"Nothing, Kuro-pup. Just going to finish up your body here." Fai said absently, wrenching a section of gleaming black torso into place.

"It's Black..." Black Steel paused. His file guidelines indicated clearly that he was Project Black Steel, but Fai had been insistent on calling him "Kurogane". At least at first.

"Kurogane sounds like a proper name, then "Black Steel". That just makes you sound like a horrible engine of destruction." Fai had cheerfully informed him one day. When the AI pointed out helpfully, that considering the amount of firepower residing in the combat frame, along with the number of ways he knew to kill a person, it was pretty certain he WAS a horrible engine of destruction, the nicknames had started.

"Doctor. Where's everyone else?"

The blue eyes that looked up to the interface screen were haunted. "Just us right now, Kuro-pi." He wiped back golden hair and frowned. "We might have to make due with this."

"Fai." Black Steel tried to sound more assertive. "What is going on?"

"I'm going to start downloading you into the combat body, Kuro-chan. Don't move around too much, now. We want all your packets to make it over safely, ok? We'll talk again in a few minutes." Fai said with that terrible strained smile, then everything for Black Steel went dark.

~~~

Fai looked at the darkened comm screen and sighed, turning his attention to the download indicator. _5%_ Even though the lab was several hundred metres underground, he thought he could hear screaming. (It's just your imagination, Fai.)

The outer lab door slid open with a hiss and he startled, relaxing only when he saw Yuui shepherding in two young people. His twin kept nervously glancing behind him.

"Yuui!" Fai wanted to pass out from relief. "Where's Yuuko and the others?" He asked grasping his twin's shoulders.

"They're buying us time to get SAKURA and BlackSteel out of here." He answered miserably. "Ashura's already made his way through the upper levels." He looked past Fai's horrified gaze to BlackSteel's downloader. _25%_

SAKURA looked up at him, half hidden behind both Yuui and the boy in the olive jumpsuit of the janitorial staff. "Uhm. Doctor Yuui.. I think I dropped Mokona." She said in a tiny voice and the twins shared a look of concern.

"Yuuko gave you one of the Mokona?" Fai asked carefully and Yuui nodded. "She's destroying all the other files. Mokona's got the only backups."

"Sakura-chan." Yuui knelt down. "You should go with Doctor Fai and with Syaoran here to the Clean Room -I'm going to go back and get Mokona for you, ok?"

The little girl nodded, but her eyes brimmed with tears. "Please be careful, Doctor Yuui?" She clutched at Syaoran's hand.

"Yuui.."

"Fai, it'll be fine. I'm sure the little pork bun is right behind us. It's not that far from the bio labs to robotics." Yuui said with the same false smile that Fai had worn for Kurogane's sake earlier.

The sound of tiny wings flapping desperately drew their attention to the hallway and Fai breathed a sigh of relief as Yuui ran to retrieve Mokona from the hall.

"Mokona is sorry, Doctor Yuui! It was hard to hold on to Sakura-chan!" The little white creature chirped.

Yuui patted Mokona's fuzzy head. "It's alright, Moko-chan. Come, let's join Fai and the others, ok?"

He turned to carry Mokona to the Clean Room when there was a horrible crash from above, and amidst the dust and debris from the collapsed ceiling, Yuui Flowright found himself face to face with the murderous Ashura.

~~~~

Fai stifled a scream when he saw Ashura's form in the dust. "Children, go hide behind Kuro-puppy." He whispered. "He looks scary, but he'll protect you." (If he ever comes online) .

Fei Wong Reed's killing machine stood between him and his twin and Fai steeled himself to draw the man's attention (although Ashura was far more machine than man now, thanks to Reed. Anything human in his eyes had long been replaced by madness) to allow Yuui to escape with Mokona.

"Fai. Yuui." Ashura rasped. "I don't know which one of you to start with, and Master Fei wasn't very specific." The spiked sensors on his forehead glowed blue in the flickering lights. "I hate you both so much."

"FAI!" Yuui cried suddenly, tossing Mokona towards him like a furry ball. Startled, Fai caught it and stumbled backwards towards the Clean Room. When he regained his balance, the lab's alarm lights started to go off.

"Yuui, what?" but Fai knew. Yuui had tripped the lab's alarm, and the heavy transparent doors sealed the Clean Room off from the rest of the lab.

The doors were thick enough to block sound, but Fai could see well enough through them as Ashura turned on Yuui in a rage. There was only a terrible silence as the clear walls were splashed with red.

He slammed his fists against the wall to no avail until he looked up through tear-blurred eyes to see Ashura trying to break the Clean Room's barrier walls.

SAKURA's cry was like a small bird's wail of pain as the walls began to crack under his onslaught.

Fai started to shout a command at Mokona, but it was drowned out as the wall exploded inwards.

The last clear thing he saw, before everything went red, was Black Steel's downloader. _100%_


	2. 100%

In the nanosecond that the BlackSteel combat frame came online, the AI learned several important facts in rapid succession.

-*HORITSUBA-DAIDOUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMBAT MECHA FRAME BLACKSTEEL OS ONLINE*-

:::SITREP EXTERNAL:::  
ENVIRONMENT: Close quarters, severe structural damage. Electrical hazards to noncombatants. Combatant: Threat level 1.

NONCOMBATANT: Flowright, Yuui D. H-D Heavy Industries # 144277299 (deceseased-removing from sitrep)  
COMBATANT: Unidentified Male, Human, Enhanced. [Running biometrics through all sources....]  
NONCOMBATANT: Flowright, Fai D. H-D Heavy Industries # 144277298 [IMMEDIATE DANGER]  
NONCOMBATANT: H-D Heavy Industries Artificial Human: SAKURA. [Defensive capabilities. Reducing risk level]  
NONCOMBATANT: H-D Heavy Industries Nanomachine Colony: MOKONA [I'm a balloon! Blow wind, blow!//ERROR ERROR//Flagging Error...  
NONCOMBATANT: ERROR//Li, Syaoran H-D Heavy Ind//ERROR Flagging Error...

(In a small, unused section of his processors, BlackSteel came up with a growing list of unflattering names for Mokona and its disruptive presence and set a subroutine up to correct the errors)

:::SITREP INTERNAL:::  
Tactical System SOHI//guns 50% capability. 15 minutes to activation.

(BlackSteel crossed that off the list of immediate possibilities)

Tactical System GINRYUU//physical weaponry 90% capability right arm. 50% capability left arm.  
All motor control linkages at 80%

~~~

None of the furious data processing was visible to Fai and the children. As he collapsed from the impact of a chunk of glassy wall to his head, Fai was caught by BlackSteel's unfinished left arm.

The mech cradled the unconscious man as it moved in front of the children, the floor crunching under the heavy steps. Red eyes glowed in the gleaming black head - the lines reminiscent of a stylised wolf's.

In one portion of his processors, BlackSteel started a continuous scan of Fai's vital signs, concerned at the severity of his head wound.

The rest focused squarely on the madly grinning man before them, covered in blood and dust.

:::SITREP:::

COMBATANT: King, Ashura H-D Heavy Industries # 1442754412 (deceseased//ERROR...

"Ashura King." BlackSteel said, holding Fai closer to protect him. "Reported dead in industrial accident."

"Master Fei made me all better, wouldn't you say, tin soldier?" Ashura's grin grew wider and he came at BlackSteel in a blur.

The first attacks glanced harmlessly off of the mech's armour. Rather than allow Ashura the chance to process the information from those too-easy attacks and come at him again, BlackSteel pressed his own , the Ginryuu system's monomolecular blade extruding from his right arm.

Lauging madly, Ashura barely danced away from the blade, losing strands of long black hair in the process.

Pressed close against BlackSteel, Fai drifted back to consciousness, vision clouded by red. "Kuro..chan.." He whispered, dazed, before shaking himself as awake as he could. "MOKONA!" He shouted, hoping the creature could hear him over the din of the fight. His fingers tightened against BlackSteel's arm. "MOKONA, Emergency activation: CLOVER!"

~~~

In SAKURA's arms, Mokona's eyes widened. "MEKYO!" it piped, squirming free to hover over their heads. It took a deep breath and the room began to shake as if being struck by an earthquake. The lights flickered wildly, and equipment came crashing off the shelves. BlackSteel took advantage of Ashura's momentary surprise to kick the man back into the outer lab.

"PUU!" Mokona let the breath out and the room vanished in a shower of technicolour sparkles.

 

~~~

They landed hard. Concrete flooring cracked under BlackSteel's weight, and he noted that the janitor boy rolled with his own landing to protect SAKURA. A quick scan indicated they were in an abandonded warehouse in a completely different part of the city.

"Mokona did it, Doctor Fai!" Mokona chirped, before flopping heavily into SAKURA's arms. "But Mokona is very tired, now."

Fai gave the children and Mokona a weary smile. "Young man, can you take Sakura-chan and Moko up those stairs? There's a place to rest for a little bit."

"My name's.. Syaoran." The boy replied. "Where are we?"

"One of Yuuko's safe houses." Fai struggled to be put down. "Kuro-wan, you can put me down now. It's alright."

Red eyes glared down at him. "You're injured." BlackSteel said simply. "And my name is.."

"Kuro-pii, I'm FINE. Put. Me. Down." Fai said firmly, punctuating his words with an ineffectual smack at BlackSteel's armoured arm.

BlackSteel resisted the urge to just drop the doctor on his rear and let the man down gently, still monitoring his vitals (just to be safe).

"Go on, Syaoran. You must be tired too." He smiled at SAKURA. "It's fine dear. We're safe here for the moment."

Tears welled up in the girl's green eyes. "But.. Doctor Yuui.. Doctor Yuuko..." she said in her small voice. Syaoran fidgeted, obviously wanting to comfort her, but too embarrassed to step forward.

With painful effort, Fai knelt to SAKURA's level and wiped her eyes. "Everything has a price, dear child. Yuui and the others... paid ours for us. Now go, please try and rest."

Behind him, BlackSteel stood silent in robotic thought.


	3. Explain Yourself

-*HORITSUBA-DAIDOUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMBAT MECHA FRAME BLACKSTEEL OS ONLINE*-

:::SITREP EXTERNAL:::  
ENVIRONMENT: currently safe. Tactical System HIJITSU//remote defence web deployed. Monitoring all available frequencies for threat.

Flowright, Fai D. H-D Heavy Industries # 144277298 [INJURED/Vital Scan Subroutine...]  
H-D Heavy Industries Artificial Human: SAKURA. [RESTING]  
H-D Heavy Industries Nanomachine Colony: MOKONA [has 108 secret tech//ERROR ERROR//Flagging Error...  
ERROR//Li, Syaoran H-D Heavy Ind//ERROR Flagging Error...

(In a small, unused section of his processors, BlackSteel ran a simulation whereby he vaporised Mokona with the SOHI railgunner system. It was surprisingly satisfying. The error correction subroutine was still unfinished, which he found vexing, though)

Unsteady on his feet, Fai shoved aside some dusty boxes to find the metal storage cabinets hidden behind them.

"Doctor... Fai.." BlackSteel didn't attempt to approach, but was uncomfortable that the scientist was so far away from him. (It was within his protection parameters when Doctor Flowright had been safely nestled in his arm. 1.5 metres was an unacceptable risk at this point) "You are bleeding profusely still from your head wound. Please let me.."

"I'm FINE, Kuro-wan. Head wounds ALWAYS bleed worse than they are." Fai triumphantly held up a first aid kit and a bottle of vodka from the container. "Ah, Yuuko always knew how to prepare for an emergency."

He drank a long swig of the vodka before pouring some down his face, eyes squinched tightly. "Augh.. god, that hurts."

"Fai." BlackSteel took a heavy step towards him. "You will be unable to stitch your own injury." he said matter of factly.

"You're so practical, Kuro-pup." Fai took another drink and held the kit out towards the mech. "can you do it without squashing my head?"

BlackSteel took the medkit with almost palpable affront. "You built me. I would assume you would know." he replied, hydraulics hissing as he kneeled in front of Fai. "sit on my knee so I can position you properly."

Fai stared at him for a moment, blood and vodka smearing down his face, staining his pale hair and filthy lab coat pink. "That's the best pickup line Yuuko was able to teach you?" he said, forcing that terrible fake smile on on his face.

If the elegant black faceplate could blush, it would've been as red as his eyes. "I don't want to talk about that. Sit."

Fai sat without protest after taking another drink. BlackSteel cradled his head against his chest and servomechs that could produce enough force to reduce a man to jelly powered down to enable the delicate work.

:::SITREP:::

Flowright, Fai D. H-D Heavy Industries # 144277298 [lacrimation present/Vital Signs alert]

 

"You're crying." BlackSteel said, voice modulators toned down. "Is it a reaction to pain?"

Fai blinked as BlackSteel finished the few stitches, wiping a dirty hand across his face. "It just.. stung a bit, Kuro-chan." He said hoarsely, trying to rise to his feet.

BlackSteel tightened his left arm around Fai. "You are injured and showing signs of shock. Please rest here on me for a bit. The children are safe and I have active perimeter scans in place."

Fai was silent for a moment, then adjusted himself to a more comfortable position. "You're... very warm, Kuro-chan." He said, shaking voice dissolving into soft sobs.

:::SITREP INTERNAL:::

EXECUTE: Adjusting heat exchangers to raise surface temperature. //Monitoring Flowright, Fai D.

"It is alright to mourn, Doctor. Chief Ichihara explained it to me." BlackSteel said softly, feeling the man's shoulders shake as he buried his face against the black metal. They were so fragile, humans. "I will protect you." He said, even softer, certain that Fai wouldn't hear him. "All of you."

~~~

BlackSteel didn't sleep. He was capable of a moderate energy conservation mode, which he was employing, but given the situation, he didn't dare move into total conservation mode. Fai's breathing and pulse had stabilised, and the choked sobs had turned into the softly hitched breath of human sleep.

He would require a full situational briefing as soon as the doctor awoke. Too many things had happened in the last several hours that he didn't have enough information on. Monitoring the police and news frequencies had told him part of the story. Horitsuba-Daidouji Heavy Industries had been destroyed. There were no survivors. Rumours were blaming a runaway experiment. Former chairman Fei Wong Reed expressed his deep sadness.

:::SITREP:::

MOTION ALERT

ERROR ERROR//Li Syaoran//ERROR

 

The boy froze as one baleful red eye swiveled to fix on him. "AH! I'm so sorry!" he squawked, flailing his arms.

"Explain yourself." BlackSteel rumbled at the young janitor.


	4. despite the low volume, the menace was unmistakable

:::SITREP EXTERNAL:::  
ENVIRONMENT: currently safe. Tactical System HIJITSU//remote defence web deployed. Monitoring all available frequencies for threat.

Flowright, Fai D. H-D Heavy Industries # 144277298 [RESTING/Vital Scan Subroutine...]  
ERROR//Li, Syaoran H-D Heavy Ind//ERROR

 

ERROR CORRECTION: Biometric deviation/Li, Syaoran. Points of deviation follow... OTHER ERROR CORRECTION NOT AVAILABLE.

ERROR CORRECTION NOT AVAILABLE FOR Nanomachine Colony MOKONA//ERROR IDOL OF THOUSANDS//ERROR.

(In that small, now well-used section of his processors, BlackSteel ran a simulation whereby he jury-rigged a high-atmosphere missile with the parts available at hand, with Mokona attached to the nose. It was deeply satisfying, especially on the multiple instances where the calculations failed, and the rocket simply exploded.)

~~~

"Uh..ex..explain..what?" The boy shifted nervously, ducking his head to hide his face behind a scruffy fall of sandy brown hair.

"Who are you?" BlackSteel asked. He kept his volume low enough as to not disturb the doctor curled against him. "You are different than the files I have on Syaoran Li of Janitorial Services."

The boy deflated. "My older brother.. is Syaoran. No one can ever tell us apart, you know?" He scratched through his hair. "I'm Syaoron."

BlackSteel monitored the boy's body language and vitals. He seemed to be telling the truth. But still..

The boy continued on, seemingly unnerved by the silence and the red eyes boring into him. "Syaoran.. he's been sick. With the drift. And we live on his salary from H-D. So I quit school, and started working in his place so I could afford to take care of him."

:::SITREP:::

Drift: Characterised by increasing bouts of narcolepsy and memory loss. A growing epidemic amongst the world population. See: Artificial Human Project: SAKURA

 

"What is your association with SAKURA?" BlackSteel asked, trying to put the information together in a shape he could recognise.

The boy blushed, staring fixedly at the chipped concrete floor. "I.. I met her, cleaning. Her smile.. it's.."

:::SITREP:::

Li, Syaoran //ERROR/CORRECT [Increased heart rate, capillary blood flow...

"You have fallen in love with her." BlackSteel said, remembering some truly awful moments of Chief Ichihara attempting to explain the phenomenon to him in detail.

"N..well.. yes. I.. Yes." The boy blushed a little harder. "I liked to visit with her..and Doctor Yuui would let me. He said it made her happy." He looked up with stricken eyes. "I just wanted to help."He paused, watching Fai sleep. "Doctor Yuui said he understood. The things you'll do for the people you love."

BlackSteel turned his immediate attention away from the boy. "There are emergency rations in that cabinet. Bring some to the girl, and for yourself."

The boy didn't hang around BlackSteel a moment longer.

[//ERROR//]

 

~~~~

Fai woke some time later with a throbbing skull. For a moment, he thought he had passed out at one of Yuuko's booze-soaked "staff meetings". But the next moment everything came crashing back and he flailed, panicked at metal surrounding him.

"Fai. You are safe." BlackSteel's vocal modulators vibrated against Fai like a purr. "The situation is bad, but you are safe."

Fai gingerly prodded the dressing covering the stitches the mech had placed there. "Ah, good job, Kuro-pii." He said softly. "How long have I been out?"

:::SITREP:::

Flowright, Fai D. [time in sleep mode: 4:37:12.33]

"Not that long." BlackSteel said, gently letting Fai stand. "Do you feel well enough to explain what happened prior to my activation today?"

"I think I need Mokona for that." Fai looked up, scowling briefly at the darkened sky showing through the old building's high windows. "We've stayed in one place too long, I'm worried."

"Then we should retrieve the.." [//ERROR/rancid pork bun/white pestilence//ERROR] "Mokona unit and plan our next move. I will accompany you."

"You make everything sound like a mission, Kuro-tan." Fai said with a strange fondness in his voice that set off a small string of error warnings in the AI. "It's so like you."

~~~

In the darkened warehouse, Fai sat down on the dusty floor and motioned for the others to do the same. BlackSteel simply refused and stood.

With a small smile, he patted Mokona on the head. "I think you probably have a message for us from Yuuko, don't you, Moko-chan?"

"Mokona does." The creature said sadly. "How did you know, Doctor Fai?"

"Because that's how she is. Please show us?" Fai said gently.

"Meykou!" Mokona chirped, and the red gem in it's forehead glowed, projecting a hologram of Yuuko in the center of the room.

"Well, if you're seeing this then obviously you're alive, Fai, Yuui, and I'm not." Yuuko's image said, matter-of-factly. She reached out of the range of the other Mokona's recording and produced a bottle of scotch. "That monster is probably tearing his way through the security traps we've set up. I expect he'll be here soon."

"You two.. I'm entrusting you with all the data on the SAKURA project." Yuuko continued after slugging back a glass of the scotch. "I'm sorry I wont be able to see you grow up, Sakura-chan." She set the glass down. "But you're the one who's going to save the world. And Kuro-puppy's going to help you, right?"

[//ERROR/Conversation with holographic image not possible]

"My name is Bl.." BlackSteel started, then paused. An automatic reaction. "Don't call me puppy, Chief." A quick scan to his side showed the brief, sad smile that crossed Fai's face. Acceptable.

The image of Yuuko startled. "He's almost here. Time for me to go. Come on Mokona." She said to the black Mokona unit that always followed her around. It had been doing the recording. "Bye boys. Good luck." She winked one last time at them.

And then there was nothing, except SAKURA's stifled tears and Syaoron's fumbled words of comfort.

"Good bye, Yuuko." Fai rose stiffly to his feet. "Moko-chan. We need to initiate another CLOVER. Are you up to it?'

:::SITREP:::

Tactical System HIJITSU: ALERT ALERT ALERT A

"Mokona is.."

"Sakura-chan, can you.."

"Doctor, get.."

:::SITREP:::

Tactical System HIJITSU: PERIMETER BREACH COMBATANT: ASHURA


	5. The AI did not intend to make promises he was incapable of keeping

-*HORITSUBA-DAIDOUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMBAT MECHA FRAME BLACKSTEEL OS ONLINE*-

:::SITREP EXTERNAL:::  
ENVIRONMENT: Large open quarters, some structural damage - hazards to noncombatants. Combatant: Threat level A.

COMBATANT: King, Ashura - Deceased//ERROR//Correcting: Reengineered.

NONCOMBATANT: Flowright, Fai D. H-D Heavy Industries # 144277298 [IMMEDIATE DANGER]  
NONCOMBATANT: H-D Heavy Industries Artificial Human: SAKURA. [Defensive capabilities/Moderate Risk]  
NONCOMBATANT: H-D Heavy Industries Nanomachine Colony: MOKONA [has many girlfrien//ERROR//NO CORRECTION AVAILABLE  
NONCOMBATANT: ERROR//CORRECTING//Li, Syaoron [IMMEDIATE DANGER]

 

(BlackSteel flagged Mokona's most recent error and left it as a sticky on his "to do list". There had to be a microwave readily available somewhere)

:::SITREP INTERNAL:::  
Tactical System SOHI//50% capability. Activation in 30 seconds.

Tactical System GINRYUU//90% capability right arm. 50% capability left arm.

Tactical System HIEN//80% capability. Activation in one minute.

Damage Report: Breach in left rear shoulder plate. Assessing potential impact...

~~~

Ears ringing from the explosion that had torn a hole in the side of the warehouse and choked by the acrid dust, Fai swore he could hear someone... clapping?

Mokona, SAKURA and the boy were huddled underneath his skinny frame. Fai looked up through watering eyes, and found himself, in turn, shielded by jet-black armour.

"What a pretty little family picture." Ashura said, strolling in amidst the debris. "Or maybe like those nesting dolls?" He looked at his gleaming nails, long claws extruding forth. "If I open you up, tin soldier, what will I find inside?"

:::SITREP:::

ALERT: Multiple additional combatants present. 90% Probability: Reed, Fei Wong Private Army.

"I can't engage him. It will leave you vulnerable to the others." BlackSteel said quietly as he straightened, all the while staying between Ashura and the others.

"Don't worry about them. I'm not helpless, Kuro-tan." Fai said with more bravado than he actually felt. "But we should escape. Mokona?"

"Mokona can't.. there was something in that explosion, Doctor Fai..." Mokona squeaked lightly as SAKURA tightened her grip on the little creature.

"Understood. I will buy us time while you attempt to fix the rancid pork bun." BlackSteel could almost feel Fai's startled look on his back. "Hurry."

~~~

"Moko-chan, give me your sitrep." Fai said as he watched Reed's troops melt out of the haze. Anonymous in their black fatigues, the red bat symbol almost glowing in the dim. "Hurrry~ if you don't mind..." He felt the boy at his back.

"I can fight if I have to, Doctor Fai." He said in a trembling voice. "For Sakura-chan.. and Doctor Yuui..."

"You're a good child." Fai said as Mokona began to spit out a stream of data that only he understood. "Mokona, Execute: MASHIN, now."

~~~

Ashura's stance had indicated he expected BlackSteel to rush him with another attack, so when SOHI activated, the railgun uncasing from his left shoulder, and fired a round at roughly Mach 10, the calculations indicated that all that should be left was a messy stain.

:::SITREP:::

DAMAGE ALERT DAMAGE ALERT: Ejecting SOHI. Massive system damage: Left arm: 0% capability

 

The railgun fired, but the resulting recoil and magnetic stress on BlackSteel's already damaged shoulder plate caused the gun to wrench back. His internal defence systems ejected the gun just before it exploded, but the force left his arm almost unattached.

Ashura looked at the massive round, held in a glowing blue field before him and clucked his tongue. "That would've left a mark." He smiled, mad and feral as any beast.

"My turn."


	6. Things were going badly

-*HORITSUBA-DAIDOUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMBAT MECHA FRAME BLACKSTEEL OS ONLINE*-

:::SITREP EXTERNAL:::

COMBATANT: King, Ashura - UPGRADING THREAT LEVEL: OMEGA. [Analysing power structure...See: Tactical System MISHIN-CELES]

COMBATANTS/OTHER: ERROR ERROR//Unable to determine number due to interference.

NONCOMBATANT: Flowright, Fai D. H-D Heavy Industries # 144277298 [IMMEDIATE DANGER]  
NONCOMBATANT: H-D Heavy Industries Artificial Human: SAKURA. [IMMEDIATE DANGER]  
NONCOMBATANT: H-D Heavy Industries Nanomachine Colony: MOKONA [IMMEDIATE DANGER]  
NONCOMBATANT: Civilian, Li, Syaoron [IMMEDIATE DANGER]

 

(BlackSteel found it grimly amusing that NOW would be the time Mokona's errors would clear up. It did not, however, lessen his newfound desire to turn Mokona into a festive hat.)

:::SITREP INTERNAL:::  
DAMAGE ALERT - DAMAGE ALERT

Tactical System SOHI//Disabled

Tactical System GINRYUU//90% capability right arm. 0% capability left arm.

Tactical System HIEN//80% capability. Activation in 15 seconds.

Damage Report: Left arm at 0% Damage extending to left shoulder, front/rear//left torso//Beginning repa//ERROR-unable to self-repair. Self-repair systems at 50% and dropping.

~~~

There had never been a simulation for an opponent that moved as fast as Ashura was. Claws tipped with a monomolecular film similar to the one coating his own blades danced across his armour, leaving the delicate structure of cables and wires more exposed with each passing.

His own hits glanced off of that blue glow surrounding Ashura. The similarity to the H-D Industries Mashin-Celes stasis weapon was unmistakable - another of Reed's appropriations, no doubt - but he didn't have enough data to formulate a counter-offence to it.

With a mad laugh, Ashura pulled in close, gripping BlackSteel's useless left arm. "Let me relieve you of this burden." he sing-songed, "I don't want you to stop functioning yet, though. Not until I kill dear little Fai." Ashura pulled the arm off with a roar. "I want you to have that in your memory when I take the girl."

:::SITREP:::

Flowright, Fai D. [IMMEDIATE DANGER]

(No)

Flowright, Fai D. [IMMEDIATE DANGER]

(NO!)

 

Over the howl of twisting metal and the cascading sparks, BlackSteel thought he heard Fai screaming his name.

:::SITREP:::

DAMAGE ALERT: shutting down left upper side hydraulic ports, servo connectors

Damage Report: Heat exchangers 1,4,7,15 malfunction//venting steam

There was a sudden hiss of steam, venting with enormous force from vents hidden in BlackSteel's armour. He was surprised when Ashura screamed, gripping his face as he dropped BlackSteel's arm with a heavy thunk.

~~~

Fai was watching the fight between BlackSteel and Ashura out of the corner of his eye. "Mokona, execute: MASHIN-WINDOM. Visualise: MASHIN-CELES/MASHIN-RAYEARTH, NOW." His voice was shaking but he tried to bite it down.

A greenish light swirled through the dusty air, surrounding them. "Moko-chan, run your diagnostics again. If you can execute CLOVER once more, do it. Get Sakura-chan out of here, understood?"

SAKURA started. "Doctor Fai, I don't want you to die too!! Please, let me.. I can.."

"No." Fai said, adjusting the blue-tinged gunlike weapon in his hand. "You're not ready yet. You're still growing. When you're ready, you have to save the world from the drift, dear. That's your destiny." He ruffled her hair. "Mine is to make sure I stop Professor King before he ruins my favourite tin soldier." He said with bitter humour.

Syaoron looked at the reddish weapon in his own hands. "Doctor..?"

"Incendiary weapon Mashin-Rayearth." Fai said grimly. "You said you could fight. Rayearth will teach you how to use itself." With that, he gave the boy an unceremonious boot out of the field. "Mokona, the moment you can teleport, get yourself and Sakura-chan out of here." He added before dashing towards BlackSteel.

It was in the next moment that he could see clearly enough through the haze to see Ashura pull off BlackSteel's arm in a shower of sparks. "y...KUROGANE, NO!!!"

:::SITREP:::

Tactical System HIEN: ACTIVATE

Damage Report: Targeting systems at 50%

Tactical Analysis: Mashin-Celes is an inertial stasis field for large objects. Recommendations: HIEN plasma cannon. GINRYUU monomolecular film alone will penetrate, but not the blade itself.

The plasma gun uncased from BlackSteel's right shoulder and the eye-searing beam shot forth, tearing into Ashura's leg with an awful hissing and crackling.

BlackSteel's red eyes glowed in the mist. "I was aiming for your head." he rumbled.

:::SITREP:::

Tactical System HIEN: recharging. 1 minute to activation.

Ashura staggered back with an animal scream. "I will turn you into the dinnerware I eat Fai's liver off of, Daidouji!"

Ashura stopped suddenly, bringing his hand to his throat, where blood started to trickle down. The blue field around him flickered and faded.

"His name is BlackSteel, Professor." Fai held up the gun. "You don't think I'd know how to counter a weapon that I designed with you?"

If BlackSteel had a face, he would've smiled. Instead, he was a dark blur of motion in the space in between Fai's words, the GINRYUU blade slicing through Ashura's chest and across.

Just as quickly, damaged servomotors hissing, BlackSteel pulled away, positioning himself in front of Fai.

Ashura took a step forward, eyes wild. "Why.. couldn't you.. have just..died?" he mouthed, startled as the blood began to spatter in earnest, the top half of his torso sliding away from the rest.

:::SITREP:::

COMBATANT: King, Ashura [deceased. Removing from sitrep]

COMBATANTS/OTHER: Scanning...

The air smelt unpleasantly of cooked meat.

~~~

:::SITREP:::

Damage Report: systems check : //ERROR/SHUTDOWN

BlackSteel felt the power in his leg servos decline and he dropped to his knees, shattering the concrete beneath. "Fai..." he said.

"It's nothing, Kuro-pon. Nothing. You just have some overloads, happening. I'll make it better, don't worry." Fai had already discarded the Celes weapon and was pulling off a tiny plate at the base of base of BlackSteel's dusty black-armoured skull. "I need you to sleep-mode so I don't fry your processors when I try and fix this though, alright?" BlackSteel noted the desperation in his voice.

"I promised I would protect you." BlackSteel caught Fai's wrist in his right hand. It was so thin in his grip.

"And you did, Kuro-chan." Fai paused, using his other hand to ineffectually wipe at the grime on BlackSteel's faceplate. "Execute File: Youou/Password: Hi..tsu..zen" He said softly, forehead pressed to BlackSteel's as he used his free hand to press the tiny switch. "I'll give you some good dreams." He murmured against the still-warm metal.

~~~

:::SITREP:::

VIDEO PLAYBACK//FILE 0000001

(BlackSteel was confused. He was still looking at Fai. But Fai was younger, and clean. And smiling brightly)

"Remind me again why I'm doing this?" a voice similar to BlackSteel's own vocal modulators said.

"Because you love me, and you love your little sister..Go on look up towards the control booth and wave." The view slid from Fai to a beautiful, dark-haired woman in a glass booth, smiling at him. "And you want to help us make a mech that will protect people, hopefully putting you out of a job."

(Daidouji, Tomoyo H-D Heavy Industries # 143166111 //ERROR/DECEASED)

"I can see everything perfectly through the cameras, Youou." Her cheerful voice was in his ear. "Let's run through some basic motions to test the sensor suit."

His view returned to Fai, who had moved across the room, and was setting a clipboard down. "Ok, Yotan, let's start: arms forward, palm down, right arm, then left arm.."

BlackSteel felt as if he were doing the strange motions. (Fai said he loved him? //Error)

"Ok, now twist your pelvis!" Fai said brightly as the man in the sensor suit complied.

"AYYY MACARENA!" Fai shouted in glee and BlackSteel felt the man's physical shock.

"I'm going to kill you!" He could hear the laughter of the woman in the booth as he chased Fai around what BlackSteel now recognized as the robotics lab. He/They caught Fai a moment later, and they were both laughing as he crushed Fai against him.

"We..should probably remove the cameras if you're going to make sexy kisses with me, Yocchan." Fai gasped through his laughter. "This is all getting recorded, you know."

"So, I'm helping build a guardian mech that will know how to deal with crazy mad scientist types." He/They said.

"I'm going to shut recording down now" Tomoyo said, laughing, and it went black.

VIDEO PLAYBACK//FILE 00023111

"Happy Birthday, Yocchan!"

The image was grainy, shot from a low-quality vidcam. Tomoyo, Fai and Yuui were gathered at a table with what appeared to be a chocolate cake.

"We know we can't send homemade goods to the front for fear of contamination, Youou, so we decided to send you a birthday party in video." Tomoyo said. "Look, Yuui made that Fondant au Chocolate you love!"

Yuui blushed faintly, shooting a glance at Tomoyo. "I know you say you hate it, but every time I've made one for Fai, you seem to end up eating it." He said, obviously a little embarrassed and glancing at Tomoyo again.

Fai rolled his eyes. "I'm going to take the camera around in just a sec. Yuuko and Professor King have birthday greetings for you. But first, your sister and my brother have something very important to tell you."

"WHAT?" Yuui squawked, and Tomoyo looked startled. "Goddamnit, Fai!" The camera clunked to the table as Yuui launched himself at Fai, and the two of them crashed to the floor.

Tomoyo gently righted the camera and leaned in, whispering. "Youou, I hope you don't mind if Yuui becomes your brother in law?" She said with a wink.

Out of the camera's frame came Fai's voice. "Tomo-chan, if you and Yuui have twins, since it runs in the family, can Yotan and I have one?"

"Don't be so wierd, Fai!!" Yuui's shout off camera followed immediately.

Tomoyo laughed. "We miss you. Come home soon."

The image vanished in a hiss of static.

 

VIDEO PLAYBACK//FILE 00133234

The grainy image flicked back on, Fai alone and looking concerned.

"I don't know if you're getting any of these." Blue eyes looking into the camera as if he could see the person on the other side. "But I'm going to keep sending them. Yuui and I contacted the War Department today, to see if we could get you released home. Tomoyo's condition's been getting worse." He waved a hand and made a disgusted sound. "They said, they'd let us know."

He sat back, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I can't talk about it too much, but Yuui's team is working day and night to find a cure for the drift. I don't think he's going to finish in time, though, Youou. He's scared." He fell silent again. "I miss you so much. It's too quiet here without you."

He brightened a little bit. "I can't say too much about our project either, but he's coming along really well. Tomoyo's programming is really brilliant. I swear she copied a little piece of your soul in the data. He sulked for an hour today when I told him the test body wasn't ready yet." The look on his face was ridiculously fond.

Then, the smile faded a little and left Fai's eyes. "Come home soon, big doggie. I l..."

(In the fading static of the video, BlackSteel tried to process the information. He clearly remembered the test body incident.)

Daidouji, Youou, Colonel. Alliance Task Force Military ID#A-333-FT-7188 [Scanning databanks...]

(BlackSteel found himself inexplicably irritated at this Colonel.)

 

VIDEO PLAYBACK//FILE 01025422

Another grainy video. The shattered look on Fai's face caused immediate alarm in BlackSteel.

"Not sure why I'm recording this." Fai started. "I guess it helps me pretend you're actually going to hear it. And maybe you will." His smile was that terrible fake one that he wore when overwhelmed. "I still don't believe the telegram. That you're gone. But I still can't imagine that Tomoyo's gone either, and that's been what, a year?"

He picked up a glass off camera and took a drink. "Professor King's been acting strangely towards me. He's changing and I think I'm a little scared. He's not like the man who raised me and Yuui anymore. Yuuko said she'd keep an eye on it. I told her I don't want him to have access to robotics anymore. He's still working with Yuui on our little girl, but he's not comfortable either." He set the glass down heavily. "Our boy is almost done though. He's beautiful, Yotan."

Fai sat back, looking away from the camera. "He's growing up into his own being. He's learned from all of us and he's becoming his own person." There was a long pause, then, "He's similar to you.. but he's not.. you. I think maybe Tomoyo programmed in his very own soul for him. I named him Kurogane, y'know. It's a good name, I think?"

Fai chewed on his lip. "I don't think I'm going to keep recording these, big doggie. I know a part of you is always going to be with me. Right now, Kurogane needs me." The smile warmed a little. "And I'm going to protect him with everything I can."

 

(In the darkness of his low-power processor BlackSteel thought :Yes. It _is_ a good name.:)


	7. out of the heart of darkness comes the light

-*BLACKSTEEL AUTONOMOUS AI SELF-ACTIVATION: ONLINE*-

:::SITREP:::

Physical Configuration Changed. System analysis in progress.

Dataspace Configuration Updated.

Attempting to update server clock...Scanning all frequencies//ERROR. Local time settings indicate 96:14:37:22 since last activation.

Scanning in progress for Flowright, Fai D.

 

BlackSteel restarted, red eyes glowing as his sleep mode shut off. He felt something akin to panic at the loss of over four days of time, and he was lying on a floor, sunlight streaming in through a nearby window.

:::SITREP EXTERNAL:::

Environment: Scanning room... Contents: medicine. periodicals. snack foods. Bar code scan indicates "Green Drugstore"...

Combatant Scan: None. Area safe. Monitoring Frequencies for threat.

Noncombatant Scan: Flowright, Fai D [Sleep mode]

Servos humming softly, BlackSteel's gaze rotated downwards to find Fai, snoring softly, sprawled over him. The panic subsided. Fai was clean, his head injury redressed by an expert. His hair shone like silver-gilt in the dusty sunlight.

As carefully as he could, BlackSteel lifted his arm. It was a new left arm, he noted. Distinctly different in appearance than his original one, but functionally similar. Slowly he reached over, moved by some mysterious impulse to touch Fai's hair.

Noncombatant Scan: H-D Heavy Industries Nanomachine Colony: MOKONA [is Mokona is Mokona is//ERROR//ERROR//

"YAY, BLACKSTEEL WOKE UP! DOCTOR FAI! DOCTOR FAI~~~~" Mokona squealed at the top of it's synthetic little lungs.

"Hng? Wha?" WHONK! Fai sat up suddenly, smacking the top of his head against BlackSteel's hovering hand. "AUGH!" He held his head, blinking, then meeting the mech's red gaze.

"KURO-PUPPY!" He shouted, eyes watering. He hugged the mech awkwardly before sitting back. "Sitrep, sitrep now, damnit." Mokona hovered around them shouting "yay!"

There was a soft whine of gears as BlackSteel sat up. "All systems are green, doctor." Without any other movement his left arm shot out, grabbing Mokona by its long ears. "Do you realise I have 2,750 unflattering names for you?"

"Kuro-puppy loves Mokona! Yay!" BlackSteel couldn't even respond to that and just dropped the creature on its rump.

"Doctor... Fai... situational update would be in order." He pointedly ignored Mokona's continued dance of joy.

Fai nodded, scratching through the faint gilding of stubble on his chin. "Moko-chan, can you please go let Sakura and Syaoron know that our knight is recovered. And then you can help Kakei in the shop, alright?"

"Yay! Mokona is good at helping customers!" The creature chirped, toddling off.

He looked back at BlackSteel. "2,750?"

"A conservative estimate." The mech responded. "Update."

"You should thank Mokona when you have a moment. It disobeyed my order and waited to teleport until it could bring us all together. We've had to make a couple of jumps, but we'll be safe here for a little while, at least." He leaned against a nearby wall, drawing his knees up. "Kakei is a friend of ours."

"Ashura is dead." BlackSteel asked, mostly to confirm the slightly jumbled data from the fight. "But Fei Wong Reed is still looking for SAKURA, correct?"

Fai nodded. "I hope Ashura's dead. For the sake of his soul's peace. You cut him in half." He made a vague snipping motion, then raked back his hair. "I had to shut you down so your processors wouldn't overload. But I couldn't get you to restart."

"I was.." Dreaming wasn't the right word, but BlackSteel couldn't find a better term in his vocabularies. "I was watching the dreams you left me." He finally said. "The words you wanted me to hear."

Fai tucked an errant strand of gold behind one ear. "Kuro-chan..." He started, hesitantly.

"I understand." The mech said, vocal modulation dropping. "And I will always be by your side."

There was a long moment of silence. Fai had turned an appealing shade of pink and BlackSteel found himself faced with a list of possible options - most of which would be probably awkward for Fai and bizarre, considering his lack of a mouth.

He was about to voice his request for an alternate, non-combat frame when Mokona burst back in, followed by the children, and a kind-faced man in glasses.

SAKURA pounced on him immediately, trying to wrap her small arms around him. The boy stood back from them and BlackSteel watched his expression. It might have been simple social discomfort. But he still wasn't entirely convinced of that. The boy simply nodded at him and BlackSteel flagged the image for further examination.

"Ah, so I see he's awake. BlackSteel, correct?" Kakei asked pleasantly.

The mech was silent for a moment, gaze shifting to where Fai sat. "No." He replied after another moment. "My name.. is Kurogane."


	8. Light Fantastic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus Story!

-*HORITSUBA-DAIDOUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMBAT MECHA FRAME BLACKSTEEL//KUROGANE ONLINE*-

:::SITREP:::

Tactical System HIJITSU monitoring all frequencies for threat

Team member locations verified and secure.

Run Simulation XX4556: Lansing Mark 7 Steamroller Vs. Nanomachine Colony Mokona

Run Simulation VX122A: Yuuko Ichihara Human Interface Simulator Module 12

Compile "Unflattering Names for Nanomachine Colony Mokona Random Top Five List"

~~~

Kurogane was bored. He was grateful, in his fashion, that their stay at Kakei's had extended to a second week, and that Fai and the others were having an opportunity to rest. SAKURA and Syaoron had insisted on being able to help with the store - an action which Kurogane had protested as far to risky, but the customers had become enchanted with SAKURA's presence, and Kakei had promised to watch out for her.

Fai and, worringly, Mokona, had been disappearing into the basement of the store for long stretches of time. The scientist had been evasive about their actions and that disturbed him. It wasn't that he didn't trust Fai, because he did, implicitly. But the man carried such deep regrets that Kurogane worried that he was going to push himself too far in an attempt to fix everything.

~~~

After three especially long days, Fai came to fetch him out of the ground floor store-room. "Kuro-chan.. come on downstairs.. I have something to show you." Despite the faintly haggard look on his face, his blue eyes were more full of light than Kurogane could ever remember seeing.

:::SITREP:::

Flowright, Fai D.: Optimal security positioning not achieved. Correcting.

Adjusting heat exchangers for optimal surface temperature.

In the drugstore's clunking freight elevator, Kurogane moved in front of Fai, close enough where his sensors could feel Fai's fragile form leaning against him.

"You don't have to protect me here, Kuro-pon. It's just Mokona downstairs." Fai chuckled, but made no effort to move.

"Mokona is precisely what I should be protecting you from." Kurogane muttered. He wasn't entirely kidding.

~~~

In the drugstore's dimly lit basement, Mokona fluttered around excitedly. "Can I show Kurogane, can I show him?" It chirped. The room was cluttered with piles of seeming junk.

"In a second, Moko-chan." Fai said. "Kuro-puu, you understand how Mokona can visualise solid light projections? They operate just as if they were the real thing, with a limitation on how far away from Mokona they can exist.

"I understand this. It was how you were able to acquire a Mashin-Celes unit, previously." Kurogane answered, not trusting the bouncing white meat bun.

"Right. So. Mokona visualise schematic only, BlackSteel v.2" Fai said, rocking on his feet.

"MEKYOU!" Mokona piped and a low-power hologram was projected in front of them.

"This is the rebuild I'm designing for your combat frame." Fai said excitedly. "When I built you originally, I had the best resources in the world at my fingertips." He tapped his chin. "But Kakei's very good at acquiring things and Mokona can simulate the H-D robotics lab for me - so I'll be able to come at least a little close."

Kurogane felt vaguely irritated as he reviewed the schematics. (Not irritated. Disappointed. He corrected himself) "Wait. Fai." He said as Mokona exploded the schematic into its components. "Why does the rebuilt frame appear to accomodate some..one? Inside?" It was more like a battlesuit than a robot. Immediately a concern jumped to the top of his options tree. "If you are considering using me in battle as.."

"What? NO!" Fai turned red for a moment. "No, No, No." he waved his hands as the mech gave him a menacing look. "It's to accomodate your noncombat body." He suddenly gave Kurogane a smile that could only be described as "self-satisfied".

Kurogane stopped midsentence. "My..?"

Fai turned back to Mokona. "Moko-chan, visualise Kurogane. Full visualisation, please."

"MEYKOU!" Mokona chirped again, and the combat frame schematic was replaced by man, tall and muscled with a crop of black hair and deep red eyes.

Kurogane recognised it immediately as a projection of his human avatar from when his AI resided on H-D's Outo server. He also found himself analysing the points of commonality it had with the deceased Colonel Youou Daidouji.

In the end, he found it acceptable in both similarities and differences. Kurogane glanced over at Fai and nodded. "Acceptable." He pronounced, enjoying the smile on Fai's face.

"Mokona, allow Kurogane remote access and control of the program." Fai said, and Kurogane shifted his perceptions from the combat frame to the simulated body.

"The processor is the same as the Black Steel body." He noted, even as a wealth of fresh data from the simulated haptic sensors allowed him to gauge the temperature of the air against bare "skin".

"This body will act as the skeleton for the new Black Steel frame. The two units will merge, but you'll be able to operate independently of it for..uhm. Covert purposes." Fai turned a little red as Kurogane continued to examine the body.

"Mokona. Can you maintain this visualisation while in sleep mode?" Kurogane asked suddenly.

"Mokona sure can, kuro-pon!" Mokona said brightly.

"Good. Do it now." He growled at the little creature. Mokona blinked, looked to Fai for confirmation then closed its eyes and curled up on a workbench.

"Kuro-chan?" Fai asked as Kurogane looked at him through the projection's red eyes.

Kurogane held out his hands. "Chief Ichihara taught me how to dance. Would you dance with me, Fai Flowright?"

:::SITREP/REMOTE:::

Accessing File: Ichihara/Waltzen.

Haptic Sensors fully engaged. Flowright, Fai D.: Detecting increased capillary action.

Fai leaned his head against Kurogane's simulated chest as the two of them slowly moved across the floor. "I don't have the materials to build this for you yet. Not all of them. But soon, I promise, Kuro-chan." He whispered.

"This is acceptable for now." Kurogane replied, tightening his grip on Fai's waist. He could feel the brush of the man's pale hair across his chin.

:::SITREP/REMOTE:::

Acessing File: Ichihara/Lieber.

"I have a mouth." Kurogane said suddenly, causing Fai to look up at him, the two of them still moving slowly in their silent waltz.

"You do." Fai agreed, rising up a little on his toes.

Kurogane dropped his head, eyes closing with the anticipation of the sensation of Fai's lips.

:::SITREP:::

MOTION ALERT

The combat frame slowly turned its head to see SAKURA, Syaoron and the two boys who worked for Kakei peering through the access door to the stairwell and fixed the four sets of eyes with a baleful gaze. There was a faint squeak of terror from the stairwell and the kids retreated.

"We can save our first kiss for when I build your body for real, Kuro-tan." Fai said softly, brushing a hand across the simulation's face.

Kurogane thought that would be very acceptable indeed.


End file.
